ELIOT, T. S. - GEORGE, Ruth.

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Is the Seed Yet in the Barn. [Together with typed letter signed from T. S. Eliot.] First edition, sole impression, the poet's own copy of her book, with her ownership initials pencilled on the front cover and a typed letter signed from T. S. Eliot loosely inserted. George has added her own lengthy and modest pencil gloss of Eliot's praise in the margins of the letter.Ruth George (1880-1959) was a close friend of Emily Hale, T. S. Eliot's longtime muse. They both taught English at Scripps College, and in 1945, Hale bequeathed a collection of T. S. Eliot materials to Scripps College's Ella Strong Denison Library in honour of her friend. The Ruth George Collection of T. S. Eliot is now housed at The Claremont Colleges Library. Eliot's letter reads: "Emily has sent me a copy of your Christmas poem, with the quotation from 'East Coker' (St. John of the Cross). I liked the poem very much, and want to let you know that I like it. I hope you write more as charming as this! With all best wishes, and most pleasant memories, Yours sincerely, T. S. Eliot". George humbly dismisses Eliot's compliments in the margins: "It is mild praise, for Emily's sake". The Christmas poem that Eliot remarks on was evidently an early draft of "By the Way of Dispossession", subtitled "T. S. Eliot: East Coker", which appears in this book on p. 27 bearing marks where the letter was previously paperclipped. The poem does not directly quote from "East Coker", and George's note suggests that she omitted the quo

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